Chelsea FC

I’m a little late to the party but I couldn’t not write about Chelsea winning the League Cup yesterday, now known as the Capital One Cup. We beat Tottenham Hotspur 2-0 at Wembley Stadium in a game which was much more pleasant than our last outing against them on New Year’s Day. Goals from John Terry and Diego Costa (or perhaps a Spurs own goal) on either side of half-time coupled with a solid defensive performance proved more than enough in the end – including centerback Zurt Zouma filling in for Nemanja Matic in defensive midfield.

Not much more to say about this other than it feels great to finally win another trophy. It’s been nearly two years since we won the Europa League and for Chelsea that feels like an eternity. Barring a major collapse this should be the first of at least two trophies as we are comfortably atop the league right now, which will be a much sweeter trophy if and when it arrives.

It’s been a long time coming (though not as long as it has been since my last post regarding Chelsea) and nothing that we should have been worried about, if our beloved manager Jose Mourinho is to be taken at his word, but at last our young superstar Eden Hazard has finally put pen to paper on a new deal that will keep him at Chelsea until 2020.

Eden Hazard signs new Chelsea deal

I was elated when I heard the news earlier today. Even with the addition of Diego Costa and Cesc Fabregas this season, I still feel that Hazard is our most key player. He is arguably the best player in the premier league, even if his goal-scoring stats aren’t as prolific as others. You hear other players commending Hazard as the best player they have played against and I think it means a lot more hearing it from other players than reading a stats table.

Since joining Chelsea in 2012 he has matured his game quite a bit, and I look forward to watching his progression continue for many years to come and hope that one day he will lift the Ballon d’Or while still in a Chelsea shirt. Speaking of which, now I can get Hazard 10 jerseys for the family.

Over the past week or so there’s been a lot of speculation about David Luiz moving to Barcelona or even Bayern Munich as part of a player + cash deal for Mario Mandzukic, but it will be Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) where he’s shipping off to next season. The terms agreed between Chelsea and PSG have not be officially publicized, however many news sources are claiming a fee of £50 million. If true, this would make David Luiz the most expensive defender in world football history, a record currently held by Thiago Silva (Luiz’s Brazilian center back partner for the national team) who is also currently at PSG.

While David Luiz has been one of my favorite Chelsea players due to his tremendous personality, leadership and the camaraderie he fosters, this amount of money is simply way too good to pass up. £50 million for Luiz represents a fantastic profit, especially since he hasn’t been a guaranteed starter under Jose Mourinho. That kind of money will allow us to easily purchase a striker like Diego Costa, and a backup, while still complying with UEFA Financial Fair Play regulations.

Thanks for all the memories David Luiz. I wish you the best of luck at PSG and will never forget the contribution you made to the best night in Chelsea’s history.

Chelsea revealed the new 2014/15 season away kit, a return to yellow which includes blue trim and lettering. I don’t particularly dislike the new kit, though I much prefer last season’s away kit, but what I do hate about it is the striking resemblance to Arsenal’s away kit of last season. Every time I see the new away kit next season I’ll think of the Gunners, which leaves a bad taste in my mouth.

Ashley Cole has finally put to rest all of the speculation regarding a potential contract extension with Chelsea FC through a series of tweets this evening. Cole has been at Chelsea for eight years and was arguably the best left back in the world for most of that tenure. He has been a tremendous servant for the club and has garnered a plethora of silverware to show for it.

We will miss you Ashley Cole, Chelsea legend, and bid you good luck in your next adventure whether it be MLS or another European club.

For those who don’t know, since living in London a few years ago I’ve taken a rather fervent interest in football (soccer in the US) particularly in Chelsea FC as Stamford Bridge was located down the street. Therefore, expect some Chelsea related posts in the future. On that note…

Chelsea announced today that captain John Terry will be sticking around for another season as he’s signed a one-year contract extension through the 2014/15 season. The terms of the extension are undisclosed but there have been rumors of Terry needing to accept a reduced salary to continue on for another season. This upcoming season will mark Terry’s 17th with the first team, and 20th with Chelsea Football Club overall. He’s currently the fourth highest appearance maker at 621 games and that figure will only rise next year, especially if he’s able to maintain the scintillating form and center back partnership with Gary Cahill.

Now that Terry is locked in it’s time for the club to get extensions signed with Frank Lampard and Ashley Cole!